Wind energy is rapidly emerging as one of the most cost-effective forms of renewable energy with an ever-increasing installed capacity around the world. Wind turbines are generally categorized as Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT) or Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT). HAWTs feature a high blade tip velocity ratio, relatively high power generation efficiency, and low start-up torque. In contrast, VAWTs, possess several inherent advantages over HAWTs. For example, VAWTs do not have to be yaw-adjusted to follow the changing direction of prevailing wind, and consequently handle gusts more efficiently. Being omni-directional, VAWTs can handle turbulent winds found in most urban areas more effectively than HAWTs. VAWTs are also much quieter in operation, are lower in vibration, are bird-friendly, and do not create optical flickering. However, a disadvantage of most VAWT configurations is that they require a relatively high start-up torque and are inherently less efficient. Additionally, the vertical orientation places strain on the bearings supporting the central shaft, thus shortening the duty cycle of VAWTs.